UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/INF/1/Rev.1

UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/INF/1/Rev.1

UNITED
NATIONS / /

BC

RC

SC

UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/INF/1/Rev.1


/ Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants / Distr.: General
25 January 2010
Original: English

1

UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/INF/1/Rev.1

Conferences of the Parties to

the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

Simultaneous extraordinary meetings

Bali, 22–24 February 2010

Item 2 (b) of the provisional agenda[*]

Organizational matters: organization of work

Scenario note for the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

Note by the secretariats

1.The present scenario note is intended to assist participants in preparing for the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions by communicating initial planning activities and expectations for the meeting.

I.Objectives and possible outcomes of the meetings

2.As indicated in paragraph 3 of section V of the decisions on enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions,[1] the conferences of the Parties are expected to consider and take decisions on:

(a)Joint activities;

(b)Joint managerial functions;

(c)Joint services;

(d)Synchronization of the budget cycles of the three conventions;

(e)Joint audits of the accounts of the secretariats of the three conventions;

(f)A review mechanism and followup work on enhancing coordination and cooperation among the three conventions;

(g)Reports or information received from the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and the secretariats of the three conventions on any other activity or proposed joint institution resulting from the respective decisions of the Conferences of the Parties.

II.Meetings agenda and arrangements

3.By the synergies decisions, the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions each decided to convene simultaneous extraordinary meetings and requested the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in consultation with the DirectorGeneral of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to organize the meetings in coordination with the eleventh special session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum of UNEP. In accordance with their concurrent decisions, the meetings will be organized in a manner that fully respects each convention’s legal autonomy, while ensuring the simultaneous nature of the meetings through appropriate conference arrangements.

4.In accordance with rule 13 of the rules of procedurefor meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, rule 14 of the rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention and rule 14 of the rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention, respectively, the provisional agenda for the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties will consist of only those items identified in the synergies decisions.

5.Issues for discussion and documents that pertain to each agenda item are identified in the annotated provisional agenda for the meetings (UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/1/Add.1). Possible actions to be taken by the conferences of the Parties are identified in meeting documents.

6.The meetings will take place over three days: Monday, 22 and Tuesday, 23 February 2010 with a proposed daily schedule of two threehour sessions (10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–6 p.m.) and a final session on Wednesday, 24 February (8–9.30 a.m.). Provision will be made for regional meetings to be held on Sunday, 21 February 2010.

7.Representatives of the Parties and observers to the three conventions will be seated in a single conference room where the meetings will take place simultaneously. The proceedings of each of the meetings of theconferences of the Parties will, however, remain legally distinct from the proceedings of the other meetings of the conferences of the Parties, and each will be governed by its own rules of procedure.

8.All States and regional economic integration organizations that are Parties to more than one of the conventions will be presumed to be participating under all of the conventions to which they are Parties. Unless a representative states otherwise when taking the floor, all interventions will be presumed to be made on that basis.

9.The nameplate for each State or regional economic integration organization will be distinctively marked in one, two or three colours, corresponding to the status of its participation in the respective convention or conventions.

A.Opening of the meetings and organization of work

10.The morning of Monday, 22 February 2010 will begin with the openings of the simultaneous extraordinary meetings. The President of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention will declare the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention open. The presidents of the conferences of the Parties to the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions will then do the same for the meetings of their conferences of the Parties, respectively. After that opening, the meetings will remain open simultaneously.

11.Each Conference of the Parties will proceed to organizational matters (item 2 of the provisional agenda). It will adopt the agenda for the meeting and agree on the organization of work. Under the latter, each Conference of the Parties may wish to agree, subject to the agreement of the other conferences of the Parties, on the establishment of an open-ended joint working group of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions to discuss matters for consideration or action by the conferences of the Parties (item 4 of the provisional agenda) and to prepare draft decisions pertaining to this agenda item for consideration and possible adoption by each of the conferences of the Parties. Each Conference of the Parties may wish to elect a chair or co-chairs for the open-ended joint working group.

12.Each Conference of the Parties will consider the credentials of representatives (item 3 of the provisional agenda) as introduced by the respective secretariats. In accordance with the rules of procedure of each Conference of the Parties, each bureau will examine the credentials of representatives and report thereon to the respective Conference of the Parties during the meeting.

13.After the completion of the organization of work by each Conference of the Parties, general statements may be delivered by representatives of Parties, including those representing a group of Parties.

14.Thereafter, each Conference of the Parties may wish to suspend its plenary session and resume its work at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 February, meeting simultaneously with the other conferences of the Parties.

B.Consideration of agenda item 4: matters for consideration or action by the conferences of the Parties

15.Following the initial plenary sessions, the openended joint working group mentioned above will meet. Subject to concurrent decisions of the conferences of the Parties, a chair or co-chairs appointed by each Conference of the Parties will facilitate the group’s work, which may continue until the end of the afternoon session on Tuesday, 23 February 2010.

16.Contact groups or drafting groups may be established by the open-ended joint working group as necessary to tackle specific issues. To ensure that all participants are kept abreast of the activities of any such group, the morning session of the openended joint working group on Tuesday will begin with reports from the various groups established.

17.Any draft decisions prepared by the open-ended joint working group will be forwarded to each Conference of the Parties, meeting simultaneously with the other conferences of the Parties,for its consideration and possible adoption.

18.It is expected that the meeting of the open-ended joint working group will be closed by its chair or co-chairs at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 February 2010. The chair or co-chairs will prepare a report of the group’s work for consideration by the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions at their simultaneous extraordinary meetings.

C.Adoption of decisions and report

19.Each Conference of the Parties, meeting simultaneously with the other conferences of the Parties, will reconvene at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 February 2010. Each Conference of the Parties will first consider and possibly adopt the draft decisions forwarded to it by the open-ended joint working group. Any decision on issues covered under agenda item 4 will be subject to concurrent decisions of the other conferences of the Parties on the same subject.

20.Each Conference of the Parties will consider and approve the report by its bureau on the credentials of representatives in accordance with its rules of procedure.

21.Each Conference of the Parties may wish to consider and take note of the report on the work of the open-ended joint working group prepared by the chair or co-chairs of the group.

22.Each Conference of the Parties may wish to adopt the report of its meetingduring its plenary session onWednesday, 24 February 2010. The reports of the simultaneous extraordinary meetings will be presented in a single format, together with the reports of the meetings of the other conferences of the Parties. Consistent with the prevailing practice, each Conference of the Parties may wish to agree that the section of its report pertaining to the Wednesday plenary session will be prepared by the rapporteur, in cooperation with the Secretariat, and incorporated into the meeting report under the President’s authority.

D.Closure of the meetings

23.The President of each Conferenceof the Parties will preside over the simultaneous closing session of the respective meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

24.Parties will, through their regional or subregional groups, be accorded an opportunity to make brief customary closing remarks.

25.It is expected that thepresidents will each declare,simultaneously, the respective meetings closed at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 February 2010.

______

1

[*]UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.1/1.

[1]Decision IX/10 of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention; decisionRC4/11 of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention; decision SC-4/34 of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention. They are known as the “synergies decisions”.